Canadian County Deputies Arrest Accused Child Predator In Undercover Sting

An undercover child sex sting conducted by the Canadian County Sheriff's office landed a Lawton, Oklahoma, man behind bars.

According to the Sheriff's office, Monday afternoon, 24-year-old Thomas Morgan was arrested at his home after he used the internet to send photographs of his genitals to a Canadian County Sheriff's deputy pretending to be a 14-year-old Yukon girl.

Investigators said they first became aware of Morgan two weeks ago after he sent a Facebook friendship request to the under-cover deputy pretending to be the 14-year-old girl. Morgan's dialogue with the "under-aged girl" went from bad to worse, when he went to private messaging, according to the Sheriff's office.

Deputies said Morgan quickly began an extremely sexual conversation asking about the young girl's sexual history, and telling her the different types of sexual acts he would love to perform with her.

As the Facebook relationship developed, deputies said Morgan began to ask for nude photos, and sent the girl “X-rated” photos of himself. Investigators became seriously concerned when Morgan began attempting to coordinate a real life meeting with the Yukon girl, so that they could act out the fantasies he had been describing to her online.

“We moved as soon as he began making attempts to meet the under-aged child hoping to take him off the streets before he targeted a real live victim,” said Randall Edwards, Canadian County Sheriff.

Sheriff's deputies were able to locate Morgan at his Lawton home, and obtained a full confession, including that he fully understood it was illegal to communicate with an under-aged child in the manner that he had been doing so.

Even worse, investigators said they obtained information that Morgan was actively involved with a real 16-year-old girl, and he possessed nude photos of her as well.

Morgan admitted to investigators that he was sexually attracted to young girls, and had engaged in sex with the 16-year-old girl on multiple occasions. Investigators also discovered child pornography on Morgan's cell phones.

Morgan was booked into the Canadian County jail on multiple complaints, including committing lewd acts with a child, and soliciting sex with a minor through the use of the internet.

Investigators will be conducting forensic examinations of Morgan's cell telephone and other electronic devises they secured from his home in Lawton. Morgan's bond was set at $50,000 and he remains in custody.